What Root Sustainability does

Root Sustainability B.V. is a Dutch climate-tech SaaS company founded in 2022 and headquartered in Amsterdam. The company sells an AI-powered Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) platform purpose-built for retail brands, addressing the problem that retail sustainability data is fragmented across spreadsheets, ERPs, and disconnected tools. Its core technology structures operational data (purchase orders, bills of materials, supplier records, product information) into a single auditable dataset aligned with ISO 14040 and 14044 methodology, and then runs automated LCA calculations across the retailer's full product catalogue. Every output carries a confidence level distinguishing measured from estimated data, enabling audit-ready CSRD, Digital Product Passport, Scope 3, EPD, PCF, SBTi, and net-zero reporting from a single data foundation.

The platform is delivered as an annual SaaS subscription, with pricing not publicly disclosed. A pilot construct (3-month subscription with onboarding) has been used in partnership deals. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with an inside-sales SDR function and a partner-led motion through sustainability agencies such as NEW KINDS. Named customers include HEMA, O'Neill, Holland & Barrett Benelux, and Bon Ton Toys, all enterprise retail accounts. The company operates with 1–10 employees, a multidisciplinary team of ~11 sustainability scientists, engineers, and designers, led by co-founders Gijs de Mol (CEO, ex-Philips LCA data scientist) and Maud Schijen (COO).

Root raised a €1.0 million seed round in December 2025, led by Borski Fund with participation from Rockstart and angel investors Spotlight and Empower Impact. Use of proceeds is platform development and European retail expansion. The product was commercially launched in May 2025, and the company is GDPR-compliant and ISO/IEC 27001-aligned, with EU-hosted data.

Name

Root Sustainability

Legal name

Root Sustainability B.V.

Website

https://root-sustainability.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Root Sustainability provides an AI-powered Life Cycle Assessment SaaS platform that automates product carbon footprints and sustainability reporting (CSRD, DPP, Scope 3, EPD, SBTi) for European retail brands from a single structured dataset.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Data Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Product Sustainability & LCA/EPD (Eco-design, PCF) (EUAHAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB), ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (EUABAEAB), Enterprise Carbon Accounting & GHG Inventory Platforms (EUABAEAA), Supply Chain Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing (SMETA, supplier ESG) (EUAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Life Cycle Assessment software
• Carbon footprint platform
• Sustainability data management
• Scope 3 emissions tracking
• Retail sustainability software

Headquarters

HQ city

Nieuw-amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscription: Annual subscription model providing access to the LCA software platform. Customers pay for the platform license which includes data structuring, automated LCA calculations, and reporting capabilities. The platform is offered as a subscription with the company describing annual subscription pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Root Sustainability provides an AI-powered Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) SaaS platform that transforms retailers' scattered operational data (purchase orders, bills of materials, supplier data) into a single, auditable sustainability dataset. The platform automates product-level LCA calculations across full retail catalogues using a retail-specific model aligned with ISO 14040 and 14044, and powers reporting outputs such as CSRD, Scope 3, DPP, EPD, PCF, SBTi target setting, and net-zero planning from one structured data foundation.

Product overview

Root Sustainability offers a unified SaaS platform for retail sustainability data management, built as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core Root Sustainability Platform serves as the central data foundation that structures operational data (purchase orders, bills of materials, supplier data) into a single auditable dataset. From this foundation, three integrated module families power different use cases: Product Footprints modules (Product Carbon Footprint, Digital Product Passport, Environmental Product Declaration, Green Claims) generate product-level LCA data for consumer-facing claims and regulatory compliance; Corporate Reporting modules (Scope 3 Measurement, CSRD Reporting, VSME Reporting) produce company-level reports for EU sustainability regulations; and Reduction Planning modules (SBTi Target Setting, Ecodesign, Net Zero Planning) enable data-driven sustainability strategy. All modules draw from the same structured dataset, eliminating redundant data collection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Root Sustainability Platform A cloud-based, AI-powered Life Cycle Assessment SaaS platform that structures retailers' operational data into a single, auditable sustainability dataset and automates product-level and corporate LCA calculations across full product catalogues, used by mid-market and enterprise retail brands in Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces LCA time from ~20.5 hours per product (manual) to ~0.5 hours per product at group level — approximately 20 hours saved per product
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NEW KINDScore partnershipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2024Strategic partnership where NEW KINDS uses Root's platform to provide carbon footprints including scope 3 emissions to their clients. NEW KINDS uses these footprints in their 'Cut Your Carbon' climate strategy approach. Root offered NEW KINDS customers a 3-month pilot subscription with 2 months free and free onboarding. Together they unlock hidden potential of scope 3 reduction for NEW KINDS' clients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vaayu: Vaayu is a carbon accounting and reduction platform purpose-built for retail and consumer brands, directly competing with Root's retail-LCA focus. Both target product-level and Scope 3 measurement for fashion, beauty, and retail customers.
• Plan A: Plan A offers a SaaS platform for corporate carbon accounting and ESG management with strong traction in European retail and e-commerce. Like Root, it targets CSRD, Scope 3, and science-based target setting for brands.
• Sweep: Sweep is an ESG and carbon management platform used by mid-market and enterprise customers across Europe. It overlaps with Root on emissions data structuring, Scope 3, and CSRD reporting workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Sphera: Sphera is an established enterprise sustainability and product stewardship software provider with deep LCA capabilities (formerly GaBi). It is a much larger incumbent competing for product-level and corporate sustainability workloads.
• Salesforce Net Zero Cloud: Salesforce's Net Zero Cloud is an enterprise carbon accounting and sustainability platform integrated with the Salesforce ecosystem. It serves large enterprises with broader functionality than Root but similar CSRD/Scope 3 positioning.
• Persefoni: Persefoni is an AI-powered carbon accounting and climate management platform serving large enterprises across industries. It competes for the same CSRD and Scope 3 buyer as Root but with a broader, less retail-specialized product.
• Watershed: Watershed is a leading enterprise carbon accounting platform that has expanded into product-level and supply chain emissions. It serves larger enterprises with broader functionality than Root's retail-specialized focus.
• IBM Envizi: IBM Envizi is an ESG reporting and carbon accounting suite sold into large enterprises. It overlaps with Root on Scope 3 measurement and CSRD readiness but is bundled within IBM's broader enterprise software stack.

Emerging players

• One Click LCA: One Click LCA is a SaaS platform for life cycle assessment, historically strong in construction and buildings. It is expanding into manufacturing and consumer products, overlapping with Root's LCA capability but with different primary verticals.
• Climatiq: Climatiq provides an emissions intelligence platform with APIs and emission factor databases used by developers to build sustainability applications. It is an emerging enabling layer in the carbon data stack rather than a direct retail-LCA competitor, but adjacent to Root's data infrastructure needs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/root-sustainability

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Root Sustainability